Turkish Lawmakers Vote on Major Constitutional Changes

By Amberin Zaman Istanbul 10 May 2007

Download

The Turkish parliament has backed Thursday a proposed amendment to the constitution to enable the people to elect a new president directly. The measure is a key provision in a package of electoral reforms the chamber is debating before July 22 elections. From Istanbul, Amberin Zaman has details for VOA

Turkish ministers, from left, Osman Pepe, Mehdi Eker, Kemal Unakitan and Vecdi Gonul are seen voting in parliament in Ankara, 10 May 2007

During a roll call in the Turkish parliament, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was among those casting ballots.

A total of 376 lawmakers in the 550 member chamber voted in favor of a proposal to have the new president of Turkey elected by the people, rather than by the parliament.

The move proposed by Mr. Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party, better known by its Turkish initials AK, is intended to break a deadlock over the election of a new president to replace Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

Mr. Sezer was scheduled to step down on May 16. He is now expected to stay on as a caretaker until a new parliament is elected after the July 22 polls.

The Justice and Development Party is pushing to hold presidential elections concurrently with the parliamentary polls, after failing in an earlier effort to get Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul elected president.

Gul's bid was derailed by the pro-secular opposition parties who boycotted the vote. They did so on the grounds that Gul, who formerly belonged to an overtly Islamist party, poses a threat to the secular tenets of the republic. Gul denies the charges.

He told VOA in an interview earlier this week that he was determined to run for president again.

"Well definitely I am one of the leading people in this direction so definitely," he said.

The parliament also voted in favor of a measure that will make it harder for the country's largest pro-Kurdish group to field independent candidates. The group, known as the Democratic Society Party, says it plans to field independents because under the current electoral rules a political party needs to win at least 10 percent of the national vote in order to be represented in the parliament.

But independents do not need 10 percent to win a seat. The Kurdish group has never garnered more than five percent of the national vote, and its leaders hope that by running as independents they will get a seat.

The entire constitutional package needs to be approved first by the parliament and then by President Sezer, who could block it by appealing to the Constitutional Court.

Text Messages Could Mean Money for African Farmers

By Nico Colombant Dakar 10 May 2007

Download

New technologies are starting to bring market information to African farmers straight to their cell phones, and these services are improving. But challenges remain in terms of illiteracy, market reach and expanding cell phone coverage. VOA's Nico Colombant has more from Dakar on one such product from Accra, Ghana.

BusyLab's Mark Davies, right, and the Tradenet Technicians

How do you bring information from a market in Ghana, like here in Accra, to a text message on a cellular phone?

This type of technology is being fine-tuned by a staff of West Africans and non-Africans working for a company called BusyLab in the Ghanaian capital.

British entrepreneur Mark Davies explains what market information is usually like in Africa.

"These information highways have traditionally been truck routes, transport routes, camel trains through the desert, sort of single corridors of transport, and information sort of just fall off these," he said.

That changes when a user gets information on his mobile phone.

"You can for the very first time in history get essentially real time information to help a farm know today what are the prices of the commodities in the market today," he added.

The idea is to get that information and make it available through text messages when requested.

Even though his service is only in its first year, Davies can already point to some interesting transactions.

"One of my partners watched somebody in Kaduna, in Nigeria, text in an offer to sell a product that he had, and within 30 minutes he had three telephone calls from traders in Lagos," he said. "And the deal was done in an hour. We have people in Rotterdam who are buying shear nuts from Mali. We have got people in Yemen that are buying organic fertilizer in Nigeria."

Back inside a noisy market in Accra, one happy customer was easy to find.

A vegetable seller Dorothy Quaye uses her cell phone to check current prices

"I am Dorothy Quaye. I am 48 years old and a trader for about 18 years. I deal in vegetables, tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, etcetera," she said.

She adds that using a cell phone to improve her business came easily.

"Let us say I sell white maize. So I am in need of white maize. I just use my mobile phone that I have to send my message through my phone, that I am in need of white maize, then send the message," she explained. "Then for about five or some seconds I get the reply back from wherever the maize is, and even the price and even who to contact so before I am searching to go and buy the goods, everything is ready for me."

To expand this business model, an economics professor, Edward Kutsoati, says obviously, widespread illiteracy, will be a problem.

"Reading, writing, education is the key, is the bedrock for any economy, to move on from one level to the next," he said. "In the time being, it would be a constraint to the growth of this particular product. I have relatives back in the village that I wish I could send them text messages, but they are unable to read, they are unable to text message themselves and that would be a constraint."

But Davies says he has an idea for that problem.

"We are looking to set up traders of information, young people, comfortable with technology, helping farmers sell their produce or buy produce and that is the way we see this dissemination of information early on, through proxies and trade agents as we call them," he explained.

Other problems include a lack of mobile phone coverage in many parts of rural areas.

Kutsoati says the help of the public sector may be needed to improve that situation.

"The potential is there. It is really difficult to assess the risk," he added. "This is why maybe a public-private venture becomes very critical because it tends to share the risk between the private sector and public sector."

Other major challenges will be for more farmers to know about the product, and to guarantee the reliability of users.

Economists say turning cell phone beeps into money in the pockets of African farmers could be an economic miracle if it worked on a large scale, but well worth the effort.

Blair to Step Down as Labour Party Leader; Hand Over Power June 27

By Sonja Pace London 10 May 2007

Download

Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair announced Thursday he is stepping down as leader of the Labour Party and will hand over power to a new prime minister June 27. VOA's Sonja Pace reports from London.

Tony Blair chose the town of Sedgefield, the heart of his constituency in northeast England, to make his long-awaited announcement.

Tony Blair announces he will step down as prime minister on June 27, 10 May 2007

"Today, I announce my decision to stand down from the leadership of the Labour Party," he said. "The party will now select a new leader. On the 27th of June I will tender my resignation from the office of prime minister to the Queen."

With these words, Mr. Blair began the transition of power. The Labour Party is expected to select current treasury chief, chancellor of the exchequer, Gordon Brown, as its new leader, paving the way for him to become prime minister on June 27.

Speaking to party members in Sedgefield, Mr. Blair said that after a decade in power it was time to go.

"I've been prime minister of this country for just over 10 years," he added. "In this job in the world of today, I think that's long enough for me, but more especially for the country."

Mr. Blair recounted some of his government's successes, including Britain's booming economy, improvements in health care, employment and social benefits. He also talked of foreign successes: intervention in the civil conflicts in Kosovo and Sierra Leone. He spoke of Britain's part in the fight against terrorism, in toppling the Taleban in Afghanistan and in ousting Saddam Hussein from Iraq, although acknowledging Britain's involvement in Iraq remains a deeply controversial issue.

Mr. Blair admitted not everyone agrees with the decisions he made over the past 10 years.

"I did what I thought was right," he said. "I may have been wrong; that's your call. But, believe one thing if nothing else, I did what I thought was right for our country."

Mr. Blair acknowledged that not all expectations he had come into office with had been fulfilled. He said some people might say the expectations were too high, but he said he would not have wanted it any other way.

VOASE0510_Economics Report

10 May 2007

Harvard Economist Susan Athey Wins a Top Award
First woman to receive the Clark Medal is honored for work across several areas of study, including government auctions.

Download
Download

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Susan Athey, an economics professor at Harvard University, has won the John Bates Clark Medal. The American Economics Association awards the Clark Medal to the most promising economists. And it may be even harder to win than a Nobel Prize in economics. The Clark Medal is given every two years. And the winner has to be under the age of forty.

Susan Athey is thirty-six years old and the first woman to win the Clark Medal in its sixty year history. No woman has yet won the Nobel economics prize which has been awarded since nineteen sixty-nine.

Professor Athey came to Harvard in Massachusetts last year. Before that she was at Stanford University in California for five years. And before that she taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for six years.

Past winners received the Clark Medal for a single area of research. But Susan Athey was honored for her work across several areas of economics. Her work has dealt with both applied theory and empirical studies. In other words, it has dealt both with the complex methods that help economists do their jobs and with economic problems in the real world.

One of the real-world situations that she has studied is government auctions. Auctions can be used to sell something like the right to cut down trees on public forest lands. Or they can be used to buy something that a government agency needs, like computers. In both cases, bidders compete against one another to win the auction.

For five years, Susan Athey worked with the British Columbia Ministry of Forests in Canada to design a system for timber auctions. That system has helped the Canadians collect over one billion dollars. It has also helped ease a trade dispute. The United States accused Canada of providing unfair support to its timber industry.

Professor Athey has also studied how bidders in an auction can suppress competition. One pays the others to offer losing bids. This, of course, defeats the purpose of an auction. Susan Athey showed that requiring businesses to make secret bids could increase competition.

The John Bates Clark Medal has been given every two years since nineteen forty-seven, except for nineteen fifty-three. That year no prize was awarded. Among thirty winners of the medal, eleven have won the Nobel prize in economics.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0510_American Mosaic

10 May 2007

Cortney Tidwell's Music: Moonlit Laughter, in the Shadow of Emotions
Also: a question from Saudi Arabia about presidential candidates' pages on MySpace. And the US Postal Service releases only its second triangular stamp, to honor the 400th anniversary of Jamestown.

Download
Download

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. This week on our show:

We answer a question about the Web sites of American presidential candidates ...

We also have music by Cortney Tidwell ...

And we tell you about a new American stamp that honors an event from four centuries ago.

Jamestown Stamp

HOST:

This weekend, after years of planning, Virginia observes the four hundredth anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown. Jamestown was Britain's first permanent colony in the New World. Queen Elizabeth was there last week. And now, three days of historic re-creations and other events are planned through Sunday. The events includes the release of an unusual postage stamp. Barbara Klein has our story.

BARBARA KLEIN:

The Settlement of Jamestown stamp is in the shape of a triangle. The design represents the three-sided fort that the settlers built four hundred years ago.

David Failor is the executive director of stamp services for the United States Postal Service. He says a citizens advisory committee helped decide what the stamp would look like.

The fifteen-member committee is made up of volunteers. They meet about four times a year to consider suggestions from the public for new stamps.

The first step was to approve a Jamestown commemorative stamp. Then the Postal Service began to search for the best way to represent the subject.

A nineteen forty-nine painting by artist Griffith Baily Coale was chosen. It shows the three ships that carried the first settlers to Jamestown.

David Failor says this is only the second time the Postal Service has issued a triangular stamp. The first time was in nineteen ninety-seven in honor of the International Stamp Show in San Francisco.

Every post office in the country will sell the Jamestown stamp for several months. The stamp is the first to be sold at the new first-class mail rate in the United States -- forty-one cents.

About seventy million Jamestown stamps were printed. David Failor says there will be no more. Only the future will tell if they are popular enough to become valuable collector's items.

The Jamestown commemorative stamp is not for raising money to help pay for the anniversary events. He says the purpose is to raise public awareness about the history of Jamestown.

Candidates' Pages on MySpace

HOST:

Our VOA listener question this week comes from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Van Hoosh wants to know more about the MySpace pages of the American presidential candidates.

MySpace, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, is the leading social networking site on the Internet. Users have lists of "friends," and those friends have lists of friends. Now, candidates are competing for MySpace friends in the same way they compete for money -- as a measure of popularity.

The Web site TechPresident is following the online activities of the two thousand eight presidential election campaign. It says that among the Democrats, Hillary Clinton had more than sixty-three thousand MySpace friends as of Wednesday. That was four thousand more than Barack Obama. John Edwards had thirty-four thousand.

Among the Republicans, John McCain had thirty thousand MySpace friends. Mitt Romney had seventeen thousand. And Ron Paul, a congressman from Texas, had thirteen thousand.

But the candidates are not the only ones who create pages for their campaigns. Supporters and local political groups have also created MySpace pages for their favorite candidates. As our listener in Saudi Arabia points out, it can be difficult to know which pages belong to the candidates themselves.

For example, a supporter of Barack Obama created a MySpace page under the senator's name. More than one hundred thousand friends joined the list.

MySpace later decided that the Obama campaign team had the right to take control of the page. The supporter got a new address, but he was permitted to take his list of friends with him.

MySpace recently created a special page just for the presidential election. The address is impact.myspace.com. It has links to all of the official pages for the candidates. It also includes links to voter registration groups and other sites.

MySpace has announced that it will hold its own presidential nominating election early next year. Voting in this online primary will be open to any MySpace member.

Candidates recognize the power that social networking sites have to reach large numbers of people. These include teenagers who grew up with the Internet and will turn eighteen next year -- old enough to vote for the first time.

Cortney Tidwell

HOST:

Cortney Tidwell grew up with a grandfather and mother who sang country music in Nashville, Tennessee. So it is not surprising that she, too, turned to a career in music. Her songs have a dreamy quality with unexpected electronic sounds and, yes, now and then the sound of a country guitar. Katherine Cole tells us more.

KATHERINE COLE:

Cortney Tidwell controls her voice carefully, but her music is hard to define. Sometimes the sounds that come out of her mouth are unusual and surprising. In her songs you might also hear things like sudden changes in the beat or words that sound far away.

The musical result is poetic and striking. One critic says it is like listening to the sound of moonlight.

This song, from her first full-length album, released earlier this year, is called "Pictures on the Sidewalk."

(MUSIC)

Cortney Tidwell says she is influenced by children’s laughter, the night sky and the ups and downs of people’s emotions. Yet the mournful sound that we hear in "Pictures on the Sidewalk" can also be found in many of her other songs.

She has described how her mother suffered from severe depression and would express her sadness through music. As a result, Cortney Tidwell says that as a child she came to connect music with being unhappy.

But she says that in time, she recognized that writing music helped her survive some very difficult times. Here is a song simply called "La La."

(MUSIC)

Cortney Tidwell lives in Nashville with her husband, who helped produce her album. We leave you with the title song from "Don't Let the Stars Keep Us Tangled Up."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson, hoping you enjoyed our program today. Our show was written by Brianna Blake, Dana Demange and Jill Moss. Caty Weaver was our producer. For transcripts and MP3 files of all of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com.

And send your questions about American life to mosaic@voanews.com. Please be sure to include your full name and mailing address. You can also write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., two-zero-two-three-seven, U.S.A.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.

Afghan Officials Say NATO Airstrike Killed Women, Children

By Benjamin Sand Islamabad 09 May 2007

Download

Local officials in southern Afghanistan say an air strike has killed at least 21 civilians, including women and children. The U.S. military says it was fighting Taleban insurgents in the area, but it has not confirmed any civilian casualties. VOA correspondent Benjamin Sand reports from Islamabad that the incident is the latest fueling Afghan concerns about international military operations.

Man injured in Helmand province raid lies in vehicle en route to hospital, 09 May 2007

The governor of Helmand province says the civilians were killed Tuesday evening after insurgents in the isolated Sangin Valley district sought refuge inside villagers' homes during heavy combat.

NATO and U.S. special forces are targeting Taleban insurgents in the area, and fighting throughout the district has intensified in recent days.

U.S. military spokesman, Major Chris Belcher, says a number of militants were killed in the fighting, but he says there are no confirmed reports of civilian deaths.

"If we receive confirmed reports of civilian casualties, of course we will investigate it," he said. "We take all reports of civilian casualties seriously, and we do everything in our operations to prevent civilian casualties."

Major Belcher says the fighting erupted after suspected Taleban insurgents opened fire on Afghan soldiers and U.S. special forces on patrol.

The Sangin valley is considered a Taleban stronghold as well as a major center for illegal opium production.

As NATO forces struggle to regain control of the district, military officials say civilian casualties are eroding public support for the international mission in Afghanistan.

Violent anti-American protests broke out in the western province of Herat last week after local authorities there said 51 civilians were killed.

On Tuesday, a U.S. military commander issued a public apology to families of Afghan civilians killed by American Marines following a suicide bombing earlier this year.

The commander called the killing of innocent Afghans by American troops "a terrible stain" on America's honor and acknowledged civilian casualties are hurting the military's image in Afghanistan.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai (file photo)

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly condemned the loss of innocent lives, most recently during a nationally televised speech last week.

"We can no longer accept our civilian casualties," Karzai said. "We can no longer accept it. We are very sorry when an international coalition force NATO soldier loses his life or is wounded, but Afghans are human beings too."

Afghan politicians say they are under increasing pressure to act.

On Tuesday, the country's upper house of Parliament passed a bill demanding an end to international military operations unless they are first coordinated with the Afghan government or the international forces come under direct attack.

The bill, which still needs to be passed by the lower house before the president can sign it into law, also called for direct talks with the Taleban.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Denies Islamic Agenda

By Amberin Zaman Ankara 09 May 2007

Download

Turkish FM Abdullah Gul, is seen after a vote for presidential elections in Parliament in Ankara, 06 May 2007

Turkey's foreign minister Abdullah Gul in an interview with VOA denied opposition charges that his Justice and Development Party is seeking a greater role for Islam in the government. He was speaking just days after he withdrew his candidacy to become Turkey's new president because of a legal challenge mounted by his pro-secular opponents. From the Turkish capital Ankara, Amberin Zaman has details for VOA.

Nibbling on pastries and sipping tea at his quietly elegant residence in Ankara's Cankaya neighborhood, foreign minister Abdullah Gul looks remarkably relaxed, even cheerful. He betrays none of the political turmoil of the past two weeks that has engulfed his ruling Justice and Development Party - a wave of mass protests and threats of intervention by the Turkish military on the grounds that it is leading Turkey towards Islamist rule.

Gul tells VOA in an interview that, if the ruling Justice and Development Party, better known as "AK," had a "hidden Islamist agenda," why was it working so hard to get Turkey into the European Union?

"First of all we the AK party and this government, my government, we succeeded to start the accession negotiations with the EU. There were two critical moments in 2004 and in 2005, to start the negotiations with EU, at the last moment we secured this and we anchored Turkey in European structures," Gul said. "If we tried hard and succeeded this, how can you imagine that we have a hidden agenda. In order to start the accession negotiations there was only one condition. The condition was to fulfill the Copenhagen [political] criteria in Turkey. Therefore so many reform packages have been passed in this country. All these reform packages were related to political issues, to democratic standards and to the adoption of European style democracy in this country. We have passed so many so many legislations. We changed the constitution. We lead [led] all these things. Why should we do all this if we have a hidden agenda?"

Since coming to power four years ago, the government has adopted a wide range of reforms that convinced the European Union to open long delayed membership talks with Turkey in 2005. The death penalty has been scrapped. The country's estimated 12 million Kurds enjoy greater cultural autonomy. Women no longer require permission from their husbands to seek employment.

Yet over the past two weeks hundreds of thousands of Turks have taken to the streets to protest the government on the grounds that it is undermining the pro-secular tenets of the constitution laid down by the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk. Many of the demonstrators were women. They did not want their country to be represented by a First Lady who covers her head.

Gul's wife, Hayrunnisa, wears the Islamic headscarf that is banned in government offices and schools.

The foreign minister insists that his wife's headscarf is a symbol of piety and has nothing to do with political Islam. He asks for respect for her choice, adding that his government has never interfered with the private lives of its citizens.

"Well its obvious is there any single proof legislation, government decree that we imposed religious rules on the people? We have been in the government four and a half years and very powerful. We have the absolute majority in the parliament," Gul said. "Did we do anything or did they discover at the last moment something we were preparing to impose on the people? No. Just before the presidential election I declared a new reform package. It was the adoption of the EU acquis in Turkey. That was the calendar. So, therefore, I am really having difficulty understanding all this."

On Sunday Gul announced he was withdrawing his candidacy for president to replace the incumbent Ahmet Necdet Sezer when he retires on May 16. Gul's announcement came after opposition parties boycotted a second round of voting in the parliament to elect a new president.

Prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called early elections for July 22 in the hope of breaking the political deadlock.

The government is also pushing for constitutional changes providing that voters, not the parliament, elect the president. Whether the constitutional amendment is adopted or not, Gul says he is determined to run again.

And if elected, he says, his top priority will be to lead Turkey into the European Union.

VOASE0509_Education Report

09 May 2007

For Blind Foreign Students, Some Aid Available in US
Part 36 of our Foreign Student Series: a listener in Nigeria asks if visually impaired foreign students can get a full scholarship as an undergraduate.

Download
Download

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

A listener in Nigeria has a question about financial aid for blind and visually impaired college students in America. S.A. Ogunlowo in Ile-Ife wants to know if visually impaired foreign students can get a full scholarship as an undergraduate.

In 2004, Tim Cordes, who is blind, graduated near the top of his medical school class at the University of Wisconisn-Madison

Financial aid programs in the United States, especially at the undergraduate level, do often require American citizenship. At the same time, scholarships often pay only part of the cost of an education. The National Federation of the Blind advises students to contact any school they wish to attend to ask about financial aid.

The federation is the country's largest group for the blind. Each year it awards scholarships that do not have any citizenship requirements. Students must be legally blind. And foreign students cannot apply until a college in the United States has already accepted them.

The application deadline was March thirty-first for thirty scholarships offered for this fall. Most are three thousand dollars. The highest is twelve thousand dollars.

The United States has an estimated one million blind adults. The federation says there are no special colleges or universities for the blind. But schools do offer special services and technology to help students with disabilities.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. More information about the scholarships from the National Federation of the Blind can be found at its Web site: n-f-b dot o-r-g (nfb.org). This was week number thirty-six in our series for students interested in coming to the United States for higher education. If you missed any of our reports, you can find our Foreign Student Series online at voaspecialenglish.com. And if you have a question, send it to special@voanews.com. Please include your name and country. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0509_The Making of a Nation

09 May 2007

US History: Nixon Promises to 'Bring the American People Together' After '68 Win
Richard Nixon lost the 1960 election to John Kennedy, but he was known for his ability to fight, to lose, and to keep trying. Those skills would soon be tested.

Download
Download

VOICE ONE:

This is Rich Kleinfeldt.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Stan Busby with THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

(MUSIC)

Today, we begin the story of America's thirty-seventh president, Richard Nixon.

VOICE ONE:

Richard Nixon was sworn-in as president in January nineteen sixty-nine. It was a difficult time in the United States. American forces, allied with the army of South Vietnam, were continuing to fight against the communist forces of North Vietnam.

Thousands of soldiers and civilians were dying. Yet the Americans and South Vietnamese were making little progress. Critics of the war said they were making no progress at all.

VOICE TWO:

At home, there were demonstrations against the war. There were demonstrations against racial injustice. Friends and families were in dispute as they took opposing positions on these issues. Fighting the war also meant there was less government money to spend on social problems.

Former President Lyndon Johnson had proposed new legislation to help poor people and minorities. In some cases, Congress approved less money than he had requested. In other cases, lawmakers did not approve any money at all.

VOICE ONE:

Richard Nixon seemed well prepared to deal with the difficulties of being president. He was known for his ability to fight, to lose, and to keep trying. Nixon was born in California. His family was poor. When he was about ten years old, he harvested vegetables to help earn money for his family. He earned the money he needed to go to college.

Then he decided to study law. He was among the top students in his class. During World War Two, he served in the United States Navy in the Pacific battle area. When he came home, he campaigned for and won a seat in the Congress.

VOICE TWO:

As a member of the House of Representatives, Nixon became known throughout the nation for his part in the Alger Hiss case. Alger Hiss was a former official in the State Department. He had been accused of helping provide secret information to the Soviet Union. He denied the accusation.

Nixon demanded a congressional investigation of the case. Other members of the House thought it should be dropped. Nixon succeeded and led the investigation. Later, Hiss was tried and found guilty of lying to a grand jury. He was sentenced to prison.

VOICE ONE:

Some Americans disliked Richard Nixon for the way he treated people during the investigation. They felt that some of his attacks were unjust. Fear of communism was very strong at that time. They thought he was using the situation to improve his political future. The future did, in fact, bring him success.

In nineteen fifty, he ran for the Senate. He competed against Helen Gahagan Douglas. He accused her of not recognizing the threat of Communism in America. Nixon won the election. In nineteen fifty-two, the Republican Party chose him as its candidate for vice president. Dwight Eisenhower was the candidate for president.

Eisenhower and Nixon won a huge victory over the candidates of the Democratic Party. They won again in nineteen fifty-six.

VOICE TWO:

During his eight years as vice president, Nixon visited sixty countries. He faced violent protesters during a visit to South America in nineteen fifty-eight. He was praised for acting bravely under dangerous conditions.

A year later, he visited the Soviet Union. He and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev had a famous debate about world peace. Nixon became very angry. At one point, he said to Khrushchev: "You do not know everything."

VOICE ONE:

The first televised presidential debate

In nineteen sixty, Nixon accepted the Republican Party's nomination for president. He had many years of political experience and had gained recognition as vice president. Many people thought he would win the national election easily. But he lost to the young John Kennedy.

It was the closest presidential election in American history since eighteen eighty-four. After losing to Kennedy, Nixon moved back to California. He worked as a lawyer. In nineteen sixty-two, he ran for governor, and lost.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

It seemed that Nixon's political life was over. He moved again, this time to New York City. He worked as a lawyer. But he made it clear that he would like to return to public life some day. Many Republicans began to see Richard Nixon as the statesman they wanted in the White House.

By then, President Johnson had decided not to run for re-election. His Democratic Party was divided. The Republicans believed they had a good chance to win the election of nineteen sixty-eight.

VOICE ONE:

Nixon campaigned hard against the Democratic candidate, Hubert Humphrey. Humphrey was vice president under President Johnson. Throughout the campaign, he had to defend the policies of the Johnson administration.

The policies on Vietnam had become very unpopular. Some Americans felt the war should be expanded. Many others demanded an immediate withdrawal.

VOICE TWO:

Both Humphrey and Nixon promised to work for peace in Vietnam. On election day, voters chose Nixon. He won by a small number of popular votes. But he won many more electoral votes than Humphrey. On the day after his victory, he spoke to a gathering of supporters.

RICHARD NIXON: "I saw many signs in this campaign. Some of them were not friendly. Some were very friendly. But the one that touched me the most was -- a teenager held up the sign 'bring us together.' And that will be the great objective of this administration, at the outset, to bring the American people together."

VOICE ONE:

Once in office, President Nixon proposed legislation to deal with problems at home. He called his proposals the "New Federalism." One proposal was for revenue sharing. Under this plan, the federal government would share tax money with state and local governments. For three years, Congress blocked its passage. In nineteen seventy-two, the revenue sharing plan was finally approved.

Lawmakers also approved legislation for some of President Nixon's other ideas. One changed the way American men were called into military service.

VOICE TWO:

The new law said young men would now be called to serve by chance, with a lottery. This was a big change. Many people had criticized the earlier system. They said it had taken too many poor men and too many men from minority groups. These were the men who were fighting, and dying, in Vietnam.

Congress also approved a change to the Constitution. The amendment would permit younger people to vote. It decreased the voting age from twenty-one years to eighteen years. Supporters of the amendment said that if citizens were old enough to fight and die in the nation's wars, they were old enough to vote in the nation's elections, too.

The amendment became law when three-fourths of the states approved it in nineteen seventy-one.

VOICE ONE:

One of President Nixon's most important proposals was to build a system to defend against enemy missiles. He said the system was needed to protect American missile bases. The issue caused much debate. Critics said it would add to the arms race with the Soviet Union. Congress approved the plan in August nineteen sixty-nine.

VOICE TWO:

Nixon's first appointments to the nation's highest court also caused much debate. He named two conservative judges from the southern United States to serve on the Supreme Court. Congress rejected the nomination of the first one, Clement Haynsworth. Lawmakers said his court decisions had been unfair to black Americans.

Congress also rejected the nomination of the second one, G. Harold Carswell. Lawmakers said he was not prepared for the job.

VOICE ONE:

President Nixon faced these disappointments, and others. Yet he still had moments of great celebration during his first term. One came on July twentieth, nineteen sixty-nine. On that day, he and millions of people around the world watched as two American astronauts became the first humans to land on the moon. We will continue the story of Richard Nixon next week.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program of THE MAKING OF A NATION was written by Jeri Watson. This is Stan Busby.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Rich Kleinfeldt. Join us again next week for another VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

Queen Elizabeth II Wraps Up US Visit

By Margaret Besheer Washington 08 May 2007

Download

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II wrapped up a six-day state visit to the United States Tuesday, with a full day of events in the Washington area. From Washington, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more on the royal visit.

Queen Elizabeth II accepts flowers from children during a visit to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 8 May 2007

Queen Elizabeth II showed remarkable stamina Tuesday, visiting NASA's Goddard space flight center, a pediatric hospital and the World War II Memorial. The monarch and her husband, Prince Philip, were also due to host a formal dinner at the British Embassy Tuesday night that the President and Mrs. Bush will attend.

It was a full day's schedule for anyone, much less an 81-year-old woman and her 85-year-old husband.

Monday night, the royal couple was feted at a white-tie state dinner at the White House. The queen sparkled in a white chiffon gown and an heirloom diamond tiara. Mrs. Bush was elegant in aqua blue. One hundred thirty four guests, including former First Lady Nancy Reagan, attended the most formal evening the Bush administration has hosted.

At the dinner, President Bush toasted the long and enduring alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom, saying the advance of freedom is the best hope for lasting peace in the world.

President Bush (r) toasts Queen Elizabeth II at the White House, 7 May 2007

"Based on our common values our two nations are working together for the common good," said Mr. Bush. "Together we are supporting young democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan. Together we are confronting global challenges such as poverty and disease and terrorism. And together we are working to build a world in which more people can enjoy prosperity and security and peace."

It has been 16 years since the Queen's last state visit to the United States. In her toast, she reflected on her youth during World War II, saying how important the American-British alliance was to her nation's survival.

"Tonight I would like to recognize that steadfast commitment your country has shown not just in the last 16 years, but throughout my life, in support of a Europe whole and free," she said.

During World War II, the queen, then a teenage princess, participated in the war effort becoming a driver in the women's branch of the British Army. Tuesday afternoon, she honored American soldiers with a visit to the World War II memorial in Washington, where she placed a wreath and met veterans of the war in the Pacific.

Following the British Embassy dinner, the Queen and Prince Philip will depart on a late-night flight home.

US Commander Apologizes for Killings of Innocent Afghans

By Meredith Buel Washington 08 May 2007

Download

A U.S. military commander in Afghanistan has apologized for American Marines that killed and wounded innocent Afghan civilians following a suicide bombing earlier this year. VOA Correspondent Meredith Buel has details from Washington.

Afghan youths look at an effigy of US President George W. Bush after setting on fire during a protest in Jalalabad, 1 May 2007

Last March, a convoy of U.S. Marines was driving along the main road in eastern Afghanistan between Jalalabad and the border with Pakistan when they were attacked by a suicide bomber. One Marine was wounded in the attack.

A preliminary U.S. military investigation found the Marines responded by firing indiscriminately at cars and pedestrians, killing civilians, including children and elderly villagers.

The Marines reported they were under small-arms fire following the bombing, but the investigation found no evidence to confirm their testimony.

A U.S. commander in eastern Afghanistan, Army Colonel John Nicholson, says he has expressed his condolences to Afghan families who lost loved ones during the incident. "Today we met with the families of those victims, 19 dead and 50 injured, and we made official apologies on the part of the U.S. government and on the part of the coalition," he said.

The death and injury toll is one of the largest involving civilians since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has publicly complained about civilian casualties caused by NATO and U.S.-led troops fighting Taleban militants, saying the deaths are unacceptable.

Colonel Nicholson, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon by videoconference from Afghanistan, read the apology he made to the families. "I stand before you today deeply, deeply ashamed and terribly sorry that Americans have killed and wounded innocent Afghan people. We are filled with grief and sadness at the death of any Afghan, but the death and wounding of innocent Afghans, at the hand of Americans, is a stain on our honor and on the memory of the many Americans who have died defending Afghanistan and the Afghan people. This was a terrible, terrible mistake and my nation grieves with you for your loss and suffering. We humbly and respectfully ask for your forgiveness," he said.

Colonel Nicholson says the military made condolence payments, about $2,000 for each death, to the families.

He says events that lead to civilian casualties hurt the military's image with the Afghan population and have to be addressed in a forthright manner. "Regrettably it does happen because this is war. But we go to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties. If they do occur, we go to great lengths to try and make it right with the people who have suffered because that is not what America stands for," he said.

The military's investigation is continuing and Marines in the unit involved in the incident have been withdrawn from Afghanistan.

New Power-Sharing Government Takes Over in Northern Ireland

By Sonja Pace Belfast 08 May 2007

Download

A new power-sharing government has taken over administration of Northern Ireland, bringing together long-time Catholic and Protestant enemies. VOA's Sonja Pace reports from Stormont, the seat of government in Belfast.

Britain's PM Tony Blair, center, speaks as Northern Ireland's First Minister Ian Paisley, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Ireland's PM Ahern, seated from left, look on, 08 May 2007

It has been nine years in the making - this power-sharing deal between mostly Catholic Republicans who want Northern Ireland free of British rule and mostly Protestant Unionists who want to remain part of the United Kingdom.

After much hesitation and stops and starts a new Northern Ireland administration takes over from direct British rule.

To pledge to discharge in good faith all the duties of office, commitment to non-violence (FADE) by exclusively peaceful and democratic means .

The oath of office is read out. Hardline Unionist leader Ian Paisley formally accepts to take up the post of first minister.

"I affirm the terms of the pledge of office [FADE] as set out in schedule four to the Northern Ireland act of 1998," he said.

And, Republican Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness as deputy first minister.

"I affirm the terms of the pledge of office [FADE ] as set out in schedule four to the Northern Ireland act of 1998," he said.

After an elaborate swearing-in ceremony at Stormont, there was a general call to put the violence in the past, work toward unity and fulfill the aspirations of the peoples of Northern Ireland.

"Today at long last we are starting upon the road, I emphasize starting, which I believe will take us to lasting peace in our province, said First Minister Ian Paisley. "I have not changed my unionism. The union of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom I believe is today stronger than ever but we together making a declaration, we are all aiming to build a Northern Ireland in which all can live together in peace."

Sentiments echoed moments later by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

"I am very proud as an Irish Republican, who believes in the unity of Ireland to stand here with all of you today ... as we strive for a society moving from division and disharmony to one that celebrates our diversity and is determined to provide a better future for all of our people," he said.

This power-sharing administration is the result of talks that began in 1996 and culminated in what became known as the Good Friday Agreement of April 1998.

A previous attempt to form a joint Northern Ireland administration broke down in 2002, but the agreement was revived during a historic meeting this March between Paisley and Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams.

For British Prime Minister Tony Blair this event in Belfast represents a major success.

"Northern Ireland was synonymous with conflict," he said. "It was felt to be intractable, the 'troubles,' not so much a dispute as a fact of life - irreconcilable differences. People felt that it could not be done, indeed sometimes that it should not be done - that the compromises involved were too ugly. Yet in the end, it was done and this holds a lesson for conflict everywhere."

The Northern Ireland handover comes just days before Mr. Blair is expected to announce he is stepping down as prime minister and leader of the Labor party.

Also at Stormont was U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, who said the occasion marked a new day, a new beginning that can serve as a model to the world.

"That you can disband militias, private armies and put aside the bomb and the bullet and through political reconciliation, hopefully carry forward the hopes and dreams of a people," he said.

Also attending the ceremonies was Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who has been instrumental in keeping the Northern Ireland negotiations going.

Nigeria's Armed Group MEND Attacks Oil Pipelines

By Gilbert da Costa Abuja 08 May 2007

Download

Man walks along oil pipelines belonging to Italian oil company Agip in Obrikom, Nigeria (File)

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND, the most prominent armed group in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta, says it has bombed three oil pipelines. Gilbert da Costa in Abuja has more in this report for VOA.

The group says its fighters destroyed three large oil pipelines in Bayelsa state of Southern Nigeria. In an e-mail message to journalists, MEND's spokesman Jomo Gbomo said the attack cut the power at a nearby export facility owned by Italian oil company Agip.

The group vows to attack pipelines, platforms and support vehicles in the coming days to disrupt oil exports.

A spokesman for the Bayelsa state government, Ekiyol Wilson, calls the attack a criminal act.

"This morning, we just woke to hear that they have attacked oil facilities in Brass and Akasa," he said. "It is pure criminality. It has been confirmed. It has been confirmed through our sources. Government will do something about it. That is government reaction. Government is looking into it and government will get to the bottom of the matter. That is all we can say."

MEND, which is considered the best-organized militant group in Nigeria, also released pictures of foreign oil workers seized a week ago from an offshore oil facility.

The hostages, six of them, were casually dressed and looked well, except perhaps a bit tense.

The group, which claims to be fighting for a larger share of the country's oil wealth to go to local communities, has carried out kidnappings, car bombings and other attacks in its campaign to cripple the oil industry.

MEND also seeks the release of two leaders on trial on treason and corruption charges.

Oil exports are down about 25 percent and analysts predict more cuts if the violence escalates. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil exporter.

VOASE0508_Health Report

08 May 2007

Something a Bone Will Never Say: Give Me a Break
An explanation of different kinds of fractures and treatments.

Download
Download

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

The medical term for a broken bone is a fracture. But there are different kinds of fractures.

A single fracture is when a bone is broken in just one place. You may have heard the term hairline fracture. This is a single fracture that is very small, like the width of a hair. A complete fracture is when the bone comes apart.

When a bone is broken in more than two places or gets crushed, the name for it is a comminuted fracture.

Still another kind is a bowing fracture. This happens with a bone that bends but does not break. It happens mostly in children.

Ever heard of a greenstick fracture? This is when a bone is bent and breaks along only one side, like a young stick of wood.

Another kind of break is an open or compound fracture. This is when the bone breaks the skin. This is very serious. Along with the bone damage there is a risk of infection in the open wound.

A lot of things happen as the body reacts to an injury like a broken bone. You might suddenly feel lightheaded. You might also feel sick to your stomach.

People who are seriously injured can go into shock. They might feel cold, dizzy and unable to think clearly. Shock requires immediate medical attention.

But while broken bones can be painful, they are generally not life-threatening. Treatment depends on the kind of fracture. A doctor takes X-rays to see the break and sets a broken bone to make sure it is in the correct position.

Severe breaks may require an operation to hold the bone together with metal plates and screws.

Next, a person usually gets a cast put around the area of the break. The hard bandage holds the bone in place while it heals. Casts are usually worn for one to two months.

In some cases, instead of a cast, a splint made of plastic or metal will be secured over the area to restrict movement.

Doctors say broken bones should be treated quickly because they can restrict blood flow or cause nerve damage. Also, the break will start to repair itself, so you want to make sure the bone is lined up correctly.

Bones need calcium and vitamin D to grow and reach their full strength. Keeping your bones strong with exercise may also help prevent fractures.

Wearing safety protection like elbow pads and leg guards during activities is a good idea. If you think these might be restrictive, try a cast.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report written by Caty Weaver. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOASE0508_Explorations

08 May 2007

Have an Active Interest in Volcanoes? Then a Place to Look Around Is Hawaii
Learning about volcanoes (active and inactive) at two national parks.

Download
Download

VOICE ONE:

This is Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Sarah Long with the VOA Special English program EXPLORATIONS. Today, we visit two of the most unusual national parks in the United States. They are Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala National Park, both in Hawaii.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Let me ask you a question: What is the tallest mountain on Earth? Most

Mauna Loa

school children will say the answer is Mount Everest near the border between Nepal and Tibet.

There is something that is three hundred four meters taller than Mount Everest. However, it is mainly underwater. It begins at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, and rises more than seventeen kilometers from the ocean floor.

Its name is Mauna Loa. In the Hawaiian language, Mauna Loa means “Long Mountain.” Mauna Loa is more than half of the island of Hawaii, the largest of the Hawaiian Islands.

It is also the largest and most active volcano on Earth. It has produced liquid rock called lava more than thirty times since records were first kept in eighteen forty-three. Today, Mauna Loa is quiet. It is not producing lava. However volcano experts say it is only a matter of time before this happens once again.

VOICE TWO:

Lava on Kilauea

Mauna Loa is not the only volcano on the island of Hawaii. There are four others. Three of them are no longer active. One of them still is active. It is named Kilauea. It has produced lava more than fifty times in the last one hundred years. At this moment, red hot lava is pouring out of Kilauea. It has been doing this since nineteen eighty-three.

Sometimes the lava moves slowly. At other times it pours out very fast as huge amounts of pressure force it from the volcano. During these times, it moves almost as quickly as water moving down the side of a mountain. Sometimes Kilauea produces large amounts of lava that seem like rivers of fire.

VOICE ONE:

When the lava from Kilauea reaches the ocean, its fierce heat produces great amounts of steam that rise into the air. The lava is so hot it continues to burn underwater for some time. The lava from Kilauea continues to add land to the island as the volcanoes of Hawaii have always done. It is these volcanoes that formed the islands of Hawaii.

Most of the time the lava of Kilauea seems to move peacefully toward the ocean. Yet it is not as peaceful as it seems from a distance. In recent years the lava destroyed one small town on the island. The liquid rock slowly covered the town. It blocked roads and destroyed them. Nothing can stop the lava of Kilauea. Experts say the volcanoes of Mauna Loa and Kilauea are a serious threat to property on many parts of the island.

Experts say the volcanoes of the island of Hawaii are proof that the changing environment of Earth is, and will always remain, beyond human control.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Mauna Loa and Kilauea together form Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii. But another

Haleakala

national park has a huge volcano. It is on the island of Maui. It is the Haleakala National Park. Haleakala in the Hawaiian language means “House of the Sun.”

Haleakala is another huge volcano. Together with a smaller, much older volcano it helped form the island of Maui. It is no longer considered to be active. In about seventeen ninety, two areas in the side of the huge volcano opened and lava came out. The lava moved down the mountain and into the sea. That was the last recorded activity at Haleakala.

The volcano that contains Haleakala National Park rises three thousand fifty meters above the sea. We would like to take you for a visit to Haleakala. For a few minutes, sit back while we drive the road up to the top of the volcano.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Our trip begins near the ocean today. We drive through the city of Kahului. We see businesses and homes, the buildings you find in any American city. There are more flowers than in many American cities. The Hawaiian Islands are famous for their flowers.

Soon the road begins to go up. The road moves back and forth and around corners as it moves up the face of the mountain. At times our driver must slow the vehicle and turn very sharply. Soon, there are no more homes or stores.

From the city of Kahului to the top of Haleakala is about fifty-five kilometers. We will be three thousand fifty meters higher at the top of the mountain.

Very soon, we no longer see trees. We have traveled too high for them to survive. Soon there are only a few plants. Then there is nothing but black lava rock. At one place, we begin to enter the clouds that hang close to the mountain. Our driver turns on the headlights of the vehicle. Ten minutes later, we are above the clouds in the bright sunshine.

The road is good, so the trip takes only about an hour.

VOICE TWO:

The National Park Headquarters is about two kilometers from the top. Park officials at the information center tell you about the history of the volcano. They say that it is very safe -- today. They also tell you that it could very well become active again. The experts just do not know.

We soon leave the Park Headquarters and travel up again, this time to the top. There is an area here to leave our vehicle. We walk the last few meters to the top.

As we reach the top, almost everyone says similar things. How strange! Did the violence of a volcano form this? This is so beautiful!

VOICE ONE:

We are on the top looking down inside what was the most active part of the volcano. The shape is almost like a circle except the sides have been stretched -- almost the shape of an egg but longer.

There are only a few plants here and no trees. However the volcano has left thousands of different shapes of lava stone. Hundreds of years of rain and bright sun have cut long paths in the stone.

Time has turned the oldest lava to a soft sand. There are huge mountains. There are also smaller hills that seem to be made of ash or sand. The place is a riot of color.

One big mountain seems to be a deep, dark red. Another area seems almost yellow. Another is green, and still another is a beautiful brown color. One area is colored gray that seems to move into a deep black. It looks as if someone has spilled many colors of paint over the huge area. The volcano produced these colors because the lava is very rich in many kinds of minerals.

VOICE TWO:

The area we are seeing stretches for a long distance. This morning, high on the mountain in the bright sun, we can see almost forty kilometers of the park. And this is only part of it. There are eleven thousand five hundred ninety-six hectares of land in the park.

Some of the park is closed to visitors. Scientists do research in those areas. Experts are trying to learn how to grow and protect some of the very unusual plants that live in Haleakala.

One of these plants is called the Silver Sword. It grows only in Hawaii. It has long, thin, silver leaves. It is very beautiful and unusual.

The Hawaiian nene goose also lives here. It is a large bird. Visitors are asked not to come too near the nene. Experts are helping both the Silver Sword plants and the nene geese to reproduce so they will not disappear from the Earth.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Thousands of visitors each year enjoy Haleakala National Park on the island of Maui, and Mauna Loa and Kilauea on the island of Hawaii. Ships stop at the two islands and buses take the groups of visitors to see these huge volcanoes.

Many people also fly over the volcanoes in airplanes or helicopters. This is a safe and popular method of watching Kilauea’s lava moving slowly toward the ocean. Other people see it from ships.Visitors also may walk into the rain forest created by the volcano thousands of years ago. Here they can see Waimoku Falls where water drops one hundred twenty meters down the face of a mountain.

Both parks offer visitors a sight of nature that most people never have the chance to enjoy. Visitors can see how an active volcano adds mass to the island. And they can see inside a volcano that has been silent for hundreds of years.

The United States Park Service is responsible for both Haleakala and the Hawaii National Volcanoes Park. It works hard to keep both these areas as nature created them.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This Special English program was written and produced by Paul Thompson. Our recording engineer today was Bob Phillips. This is Sarah Long.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another EXPLORATIONS program on the Voice of America.